President Lowell E. Johnson called the meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education to
order at 12:30 p.m. on December 14, 2005, in Capitol Building 6, Room 353, 1900 Kanawha
Boulevard, East, Charleston, West Virginia.

The following members were present: President Johnson, Vice President Delores W. Cook,
Secretary Priscilla M. Haden, Robert W. Dunlevy, Sheila M. Hamilton, Burma Hatfield, Jenny N.
Phillips and Ronald B. Spencer, and ex officio Steven L. Paine, State Superintendent of Schools.
Members absent were Barbara N. Fish and ex officios Bruce C. Flack, Interim Chancellor, the West
Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, and James L. Skidmore, Chancellor, the West
Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education.

II.

Approval of Agenda

President Johnson requested that item XII. Report on the Recent Revisions in the Statutes
Related to the Teachers' Defined Contribution Retirement System be moved to the first order of
business immediately following the approval of the agenda. Upon motion Ms. Phillips, seconded
by Ms. Hatfield, the Board unanimously approved the agenda as amended.

Dr. Kenna R. Seal, Director, Office of Education Performance Audits (OEPA), distributed
a corrected page for the Mason County audit report found on the December 15, 2005 Consent
Agenda. (Copy appended to Official Minutes of December 15, 2005 at Attachment U.)

V.

Draft Individual School Education Performance Audit Report for

Weir Middle School, Hancock County

Dr. Seal reported that an announced on-site review was conducted at Weir Middle School
in Hancock County on October 18, 2005. The OEPA conducted the review which was limited in
scope to the standards relative to school and student performance and progress. The review also
consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal and a motion by Mr. Spencer, seconded by Ms. Hatfield,
the Board unanimously granted Weir Middle School the accreditation status listed in the individual
school report and gave the school and county until the next accreditation cycle to correct any
deficiencies reported. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment B.)

VI.

Draft Individual School Education Performance Audit Reports for

Follansbee Middle School and Wellsburg Middle School, Brooke County

Dr. Seal reported that announced on-site reviews were conducted at Follansbee Middle
School and Wellsburg Middle School in Brooke County on October 19, 2005. The OEPA conducted
the reviews which were limited in scope to the standards relative to school and student performance
and progress. The reviews also consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal and a motion by Ms. Phillips, seconded by Mrs. Cook,
the Board unanimously granted Follansbee Middle School and Wellsburg Middle School the
accreditation status listed in the individual school reports and gave the schools and county until the
next accreditation cycle to correct any deficiencies reported. (Copy appended to Official Minutes,
Attachment C.)

VII.

Draft Individual School Education Performance Audit Report for

Keyser Primary/Middle School, Mineral County

Dr. Seal reported that an announced on-site review was conducted at Keyser Primary/Middle

School in Mineral County on October 25, 2005. The OEPA conducted the review which was limited
in scope to the standards relative to school and student performance and progress. The review also
consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal and a motion by Ms. Hatfield, seconded by Mr. Dunlevy,
the Board unanimously granted Keyser Primary/Middle School the accreditation status listed in the
individual school report and gave the school and county until the next accreditation cycle to correct
any deficiencies reported.(Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment D.)

Dr. Seal reported that an announced on-site reviews were conducted at Widmyer Elementary

School and Warm Springs Middle School in Morgan County on October 26, 2005. The OEPA
conducted the reviews which were limited in scope to the standards relative to school and student
performance and progress. The reviews also consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal and a motion by Ms. Haden, seconded by Mrs. Hamilton,
the Board unanimously granted Widmyer Elementary School and Warm Springs Middle School the
accreditation status listed in the individual school reports and gave the schools and county until the
next accreditation cycle to correct any deficiencies reported. (Copy appended to Official Minutes,
Attachment E.)

X.

Draft Individual School Education Performance Audit Report

for Hedgesville Middle School, Berkeley County

Dr. Seal reported that an announced on-site review was conducted at Hedgesville Middle
School in Berkeley County on October 27, 2005. The OEPA conducted the review which was
limited in scope to the standards relative to school and student performance and progress. The
review also consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal, Ms. Haden moved, and Mrs. Cook seconded, that the
Board grant Hedgesville Middle School the accreditation status listed in the individual school report
and that the school and county be given until the next accreditation cycle to correct any deficiencies
reported.

Discussion ensued during which Dr. Seal was directed to prepare a letter to the Berkeley
County Board of Education and others, as appropriate, for President Johnson's signature regarding
attitudinal problems of staff and students and further directed that a follow-up be conducted within
the next four to five months.

Upon the call for the question the motion carried unanimously. (Copy appended to Official
Minutes, Attachment F.)

XI.

Draft Individual School Education Performance Audit Report for

Pocahontas County High School, Pocahontas County

Dr. Seal reported that an announced on-site review was conducted at Pocahontas County
High School in Pocahontas County on November 3, 2005. The OEPA conducted the review which
was limited in scope to the standards relative to school and student performance and progress. The
review also consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal and a motion by Ms. Hatfield, seconded by Mr. Spencer,
the Board unanimously granted Pocahontas County High School the accreditation status listed in the
individual school report and gave the school and county until the next accreditation cycle to correct
any deficiencies reported.(Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment G.)

XII.

Teacher Mentorship Study Group Report

Dr. Karen Huffman, Executive Director, and Mr. Nathan Estel, Assistant Director, Office of
Professional Preparation, Division of Administrative Services, presented the Teacher Mentorship
Study Group report for the Board's consideration.This report was developed in response to a
request from the Board at its September meeting and addresses the effectiveness of the state teacher
mentorship program. Participating in this committee were over 30 individuals representing
classroom teachers, administrators, higher education professional teacher organizations, the Board,
the Department, Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA), West Virginia Center for
Professional Development, the National Commission for Teaching and America's Future and the
Benedum Foundation.

President Johnson suspended the presentation to allow Treasurer John Perdue to address the
Board.

XIII.

Guest Speaker

West Virginia Treasurer John Perdue

Treasurer Perdue addressed the Board in support of the amendment of Policy 2520.4, Social
Studies Content Standards and Objectives for West Virginia Schools. Treasurer Perdue also
requested the Board's support for the SMART 529 Plan (college savings plan). President Johnson
indicated that the Board would take up the request for support of the SMART 529 Plan on a future
agenda as such an item had not been noticed on the Board's current agenda.

XIV.

Break

President Johnson called for a break at 2:04 p.m.

XV.

Call to Order

President Johnson called the meeting back to order at 2:16 p.m.

XVI.

Teacher Mentorship Study Group Report (Continued)

The presentation continued and upon motion by Mrs. Cook, seconded by Ms. Phillips, the
Board unanimously accepted the report. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment H.)

XVII.

Report on K-12 Technology Plan

Dr. Jorea Marple, Assistant State Superintendent, Division of School Improvement Services,
distributed information and presented the K-12 Technology Plan for the Board's consideration.

Ms. Haden requested that action regarding the plan be delayed and placed on the December
15 agenda for consideration.(Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment I.)

XVIII.

Report on Waiver Requests 2002-2005

Ms. Karen Larry, Executive Assistant to the State Superintendent, distributed information
and provided a reportdetailing the waivers that have been submitted for consideration and their
disposition from 2002 until September, 2005. W. Va. Code §18-5A-3 gives "authority and
procedures for local school improvement councils to request waivers of certain rules, policies, and
interpretations." Once this legislation was passed in 1990, the West Virginia Department of
Education designed and issued guidelines and procedures for schools and school systems to request
from the West Virginia Board of Education waivers to state policy, instructional materials, and state
superintendent interpretations. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment J and addendum.)

XIX.

Approval of Five New Programs for Three Institutions of

Higher Education and Two Regional Education Service Agencies

Dr. Huffman provided an overview of five new programs for three institutions of higher
education and two RESAs for the Board's consideration.(Copy appended to Official Minutes of
December 15, 2005 at Attachment J.)

XX.

Policy 4334, West Virginia Minimum Requirements for the

Design and Equipment of School Buses

Mr. Ben Shew, Executive Director, Office of School Transportation, Division of
Administrative Services, provided an overview of Policy 4334 for the Board's consideration. (Copy
appended to Official Minutes of December 15, 2005 at Attachment K.)

XXI.

Policy 2520.4, Social Studies Content Standards

and Objectives for West Virginia Schools

Mr. Keith Butcher, Executive Director, and Ms. Regina Scotchie, Coordinator, Office of
Instructional Services, Division of Instructional and Student Services, provided an overview of
Policy 2520.4 for the Board's consideration. (Copy appended to Official Minutes of December 15,
2005 at Attachment L.)

XXII.

Policy 2520.17, Library Media Standards

and Objectives for West Virginia Schools

Mr. Butcher and Ms. Debbie Harki, Coordinator, Office of Instructional Services, Division
of Instructional and Student Services, presented Policy 2520.17 for the Board's consideration.(Copy
appended to Official Minutes of December 15, 2005 at Attachments M and L.)

XXIII.

Break

President Johnson called for a break at 3:34 p.m.

XXIV.

Call to Order

President Johnson called the meeting back to order at 3:40 p.m.

XXV.

Executive Session

Upon motion by Mrs. Hamilton, seconded by Ms. Haden, the Board unanimously moved into
Executive Session at 3:41 p.m. pursuant to W. Va. Code §6-9A-3 for a matter involving
attorney-client privilege and W. Va. Code §6-9A-4(b)(2)(A) for a personnel matter.

XXVI.

Return from Executive Session

The Board returned from Executive Session at 4:29 p.m. at which time President Johnson
announced that no action was taken and no decisions were made.

XXVII.

Future Meetings

The next regular meeting of the Board will be held December 15, 2005 in Charleston, West
Virginia.

XXVIII.

Adjournment

Upon motion by Mr. Spencer, seconded by Mrs. Hamilton and unanimously carried, the
meeting adjourned at 4:32 p.m.